Monsanto against S. Africa biofuel plan

Monsanto criticises the decision by South Africa to exclude maize from its
biofuels policy, saying it would hurt farmers and deal a blow to the
government's land reform policy.

Monsanto and farmers' umbrella body Grain South Africa have both said they
oppose the decision. The government cited concerns over food security when it
announced its decision last week to remove maize from the list of crops that
could be used in the initial stage of the long-awaited biofuels strategy.

"The fact that government presently does not support the initiative for
the manufacture of ethanol from maize could possibly hold serious negative
consequences for the maize industry and government's land reform policy," said
Kobus Lindeque, managing director of Monsanto for sub-Saharan Africa. "We in the
agricultural sector want to say to government that we are willing to assist with
agricultural matters.

"Big international agribusinesses invest in the
country and its economy, and government must realise that we are here to stay.
For that reason we have to map the future together." Lindeque said using maize
for biofuels would allow the government to settle black farmers on farms through
its land eform policy with a big demand for maize that they could
plant.